Dual Panel1Now the LORD<3068> said<559> to Joshua<3091>, "Do not fear<3372> or be dismayed<2865>. Take<3947> all<3605> the people<5971> of war<4421> with you and arise<6965>, go<5927> up to Ai<5857>; see<7200>, I have given<5414> into your hand<3027> the king<4428> of Ai<5857>, his people<5971>, his city<5892>, and his land<776>.
2"You shall do<6213> to Ai<5857> and its king<4428> just<3512> as you did<6213> to Jericho<3405> and its king<4428>; you shall take<962> only<7534> its spoil<7998> and its cattle<929> as plunder<962> for yourselves. Set<7760> an ambush<693> for the city<5892> behind<4480><310> it."
3So Joshua<3091> rose<6965> with all<3605> the people<5971> of war<4421> to go<5927> up to Ai<5857>; and Joshua<3091> chose<977> 30,000 <7970><505> men<376>, valiant<2428> warriors<1368>, and sent<7971> them out at night<3915>.
4He commanded<6680> them, saying<559>, "See<7200>, you are going to ambush<693> the city<5892> from behind<310> it. Do not go<7368> very<3966> far<7368> from the city<5892>, but all<3605> of you be ready<3559>.
5"Then I and all<3605> the people<5971> who<834> are with me will approach<7126> the city<5892>. And when<3588> they come<3318> out to meet<7122> us as at the first<7223>, we will flee<5127> before<6440> them.
6"They will come<3318> out after<310> us until<5704> we have drawn<5423> them away<5423> from the city<5892>, for they will say<559>, 'They are fleeing<5127> before<6440> us as at the first<7223>.' So we will flee<5127> before<6440> them.
7"And you shall rise<6965> from your ambush<693> and take<3423> possession<3423> of the city<5892>, for the LORD<3068> your God<430> will deliver<5414> it into your hand<3027>.
8"Then it will be when you have seized<8610> the city<5892>, that you shall set<3341> the city<5892> on fire<784>. You shall do<6213> it according to the word<1697> of the LORD<3068>. See<7200>, I have commanded<6680> you."
9So Joshua<3091> sent<7971> them away<7971>, and they went<1980> to the place of ambush<3993> and remained<3427> between<996> Bethel<1008> and Ai<5857>, on the west<3220> side<3220> of Ai<5857>; but Joshua<3091> spent<3885> that night<3915> among<8432> the people<5971>.
10Now Joshua<3091> rose<7925> early<7925> in the morning<1242> and mustered<6485> the people<5971>, and he went<5927> up with the elders<2205> of Israel<3478> before<6440> the people<5971> to Ai<5857>.
11Then all<3605> the people<5971> of war<4421> who<834> were with him went<5927> up and drew<5066> near<5066> and arrived<935> in front<5048> of the city<5892>, and camped<2583> on the north<6828> side<6828> of Ai<5857>. Now there was a valley<1516> between<996> him and Ai<5857>.
12And he took<3947> about 5,000 <2568><505> men<376> and set<7760> them in ambush<693> between<996> Bethel<1008> and Ai<5857>, on the west<3220> side<3220> of the city<5892>.
13So they stationed<7760> the people<5971>, all<3605> the army<4264> that was on the north<6828> side<6828> of the city<5892>, and its rear<6119> guard<6119> on the west<3220> side<3220> of the city<5892>, and Joshua<3091> spent<1980> that night<3915> in the midst<8432> of the valley<6010>.
14It came<1961> about when the king<4428> of Ai<5857> saw<7200> it, that the men<376> of the city<5892> hurried<4116> and rose<7925> up early<7925> and went<3318> out to meet<7122> Israel<3478> in battle<4421>, he and all<3605> his people<5971> at the appointed<4150> place<4150> before<6440> the desert<6160> plain<6160>. But he did not know<3045> that there was an ambush<693> against him behind<4480><310> the city<5892>.
15Joshua<3091> and all<3605> Israel<3478> pretended<5060> to be beaten<5060> before<6440> them, and fled<5127> by the way<1870> of the wilderness<4057>.
16And all<3605> the people<5971> who<834> were in the city<5892> were called<2199> together<2199> to pursue<7291> them, and they pursued<7291> Joshua<3091> and were drawn<5423> away<5423> from the city<5892>.
17So not a man<376> was left<7604> in Ai<5857> or Bethel<1008> who<834> had not gone<3318> out after<310> Israel<3478>, and they left<5800> the city<5892> unguarded<6605> and pursued<7291> Israel<3478>.
18Then the LORD<3068> said<559> to Joshua<3091>, "Stretch<5186> out the javelin<3591> that is in your hand<3027> toward<413> Ai<5857>, for I will give<5414> it into your hand<3027>." So Joshua<3091> stretched<5186> out the javelin<3591> that was in his hand<3027> toward<413> the city<5892>.
19The men in ambush<693> rose<6965> quickly<4120> from their place<4725>, and when he had stretched<5186> out his hand<3027>, they ran<7323> and entered<935> the city<5892> and captured<3920> it, and they quickly<4116> set<3341> the city<5892> on fire<784>.
20When the men<376> of Ai<5857> turned<6437> back<310> and looked<7200>, behold<2009>, the smoke<6227> of the city<5892> ascended<5927> to the sky<8064>, and they had<1961> no<3808> place<3027> to flee<5127> this<2088> way<2008> or that, for the people<5971> who had been fleeing<5127> to the wilderness<4057> turned<2015> against<413> the pursuers<7291>.
21When Joshua<3091> and all<3605> Israel<3478> saw<7200> that the men in ambush<693> had captured<3920> the city<5892> and that the smoke<6227> of the city<5892> ascended<5927>, they turned<7725> back<7725> and slew<5221> the men<376> of Ai<5857>.
22The others<428> came<3318> out from the city<5892> to encounter<7122> them, so that they were trapped in the midst<8432> of Israel<3478>, some<428> on this<2088> side<2088> and some<428> on that side<2088>; and they slew<5221> them until<5704> no<1115> one was left<7604> of those who<8300> survived<8300> or escaped<6412>.
23But they took<8610> alive<2416> the king<4428> of Ai<5857> and brought<7126> him to Joshua<3091>.
24Now when Israel<3478> had finished<3615> killing<2026> all<3605> the inhabitants<3427> of Ai<5857> in the field<7704> in the wilderness<4057> where<834> they pursued<7291> them, and all<3605> of them were fallen<5307> by the edge<6310> of the sword<2719> until<5704> they were destroyed<8552>, then all<3605> Israel<3478> returned<7725> to Ai<5857> and struck<5221> it with the edge<6310> of the sword<2719>.
25All<3605> who fell<5307> that day<3117>, both<4480> men<376> and women<802>, were 12,000 <8147><6240><505>--all<3605> the people<376> of Ai<5857>.
26For Joshua<3091> did not withdraw<7725> his hand<3027> with which<834> he stretched<5186> out the javelin<3591> until<5704> he had utterly<2763> destroyed<2763> all<3605> the inhabitants<3427> of Ai<5857>.
27Israel<3478> took<962> only<7534> the cattle<929> and the spoil<7998> of that city<5892> as plunder<962> for themselves, according to the word<1697> of the LORD<3068> which<834> He had commanded<6680> Joshua<3091>.
28So Joshua<3091> burned<8313> Ai<5857> and made<7760> it a heap<8510> forever<5769>, a desolation<8077> until<5704> this<2088> day<3117>.
29He hanged<8518> the king<4428> of Ai<5857> on a tree<6086> until<5704> evening<6153>; and at sunset<8121><935> Joshua<3091> gave<6680> command<6680> and they took<3381> his body<5038> down<3381> from the tree<6086> and threw<7993> it at the entrance<6607> of the city<5892> gate<8179>, and raised<6965> over<5921> it a great<1419> heap<1530> of stones<68> that stands to this<2088> day<3117>.
30Then<227> Joshua<3091> built<1129> an altar<4196> to the LORD<3068>, the God<430> of Israel<3478>, in Mount<2022> Ebal<5858>,
31just<3512> as Moses<4872> the servant<5650> of the LORD<3068> had commanded<6680> the sons<1121> of Israel<3478>, as it is written<3789> in the book<5612> of the law<8451> of Moses<4872>, an altar<4196> of uncut<8003> stones<68> on which<834> no<3808> man had wielded<5130> an iron<1270> tool; and they offered<5927> burnt<5930> offerings<5930> on it to the LORD<3068>, and sacrificed<2076> peace<8002> offerings<8002>.
32He wrote<3789> there<8033> on the stones<68> a copy<4932> of the law<8451> of Moses<4872>, which<834> he had written<3789>, in the presence<6440> of the sons<1121> of Israel<3478>.
33All<3605> Israel<3478> with their elders<2205> and officers<7860> and their judges<8199> were standing<5975> on both<4480><2088> sides<4480><2088> of the ark<727> before<5048> the Levitical<3881> priests<3548> who carried<5375> the ark<727> of the covenant<1285> of the LORD<3068>, the stranger<1616> as well as the native<249>. Half<2677> of them stood in front<4136> of Mount<2022> Gerizim<1630> and half<2677> of them in front<4136> of Mount<2022> Ebal<5858>, just<3512> as Moses<4872> the servant<5650> of the LORD<3068> had given<6680> command<6680> at first<7223> to bless<1288> the people<5971> of Israel<3478>.
34Then afterward<310><3651> he read<7121> all<3605> the words<1697> of the law<8451>, the blessing<1293> and the curse<7045>, according to all<3605> that is written<3789> in the book<5612> of the law<8451>.
35There was not a word<1697> of all<3605> that Moses<4872> had commanded<6680> which<834> Joshua<3091> did not read<7121> before<5048> all<3605> the assembly<6951> of Israel<3478> with the women<802> and the little<2945> ones<2945> and the strangers<1616> who were living<1980> among<7130> them.